Close Brothers Group (LON:CBG) Trading Down 12.8% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Close Brothers Group plc shares fell 12.8% to GBX 457 ($6.08), with trading volumes significantly higher at 2,714,246 shares, indicating increased investor activity.
• Analysts have given a consensus rating of "Hold" for the stock, with price targets ranging from GBX 327 to GBX 525, reflecting varied outlooks on the company's performance.
• In its latest quarterly earnings report, Close Brothers Group posted an EPS of GBX 59.30, indicating ongoing profitability despite a declining stock price.

Close Brothers Group plc (LON:CBG - Get Free Report) shares traded down 12.8% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as GBX 454.20 ($6.04) and last traded at GBX 457 ($6.08). 2,714,246 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 81% from the average session volume of 1,501,993 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 524 ($6.97).

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on Close Brothers Group from GBX 525 to GBX 500 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 3rd. Canaccord Genuity Group restated a "buy" rating and issued a GBX 463 price objective on shares of Close Brothers Group in a report on Monday, August 4th. Panmure Gordon restated a "hold" rating and issued a GBX 500 price objective on shares of Close Brothers Group in a report on Thursday. Shore Capital restated a "hold" rating on shares of Close Brothers Group in a report on Tuesday, September 30th. Finally, Peel Hunt restated a "hold" rating and issued a GBX 327 price objective on shares of Close Brothers Group in a report on Friday, July 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of GBX 465.63.

Close Brothers Group Stock Performance

The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of GBX 492.51 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of GBX 395.57. The stock has a market capitalization of £687.89 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -683.11, a P/E/G ratio of 1.87 and a beta of 0.82.

Close Brothers Group (LON:CBG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 30th. The company reported GBX 59.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. Close Brothers Group had a net margin of 7.79% and a return on equity of 5.78%. Research analysts forecast that Close Brothers Group plc will post 66.0070671 earnings per share for the current year.

About Close Brothers Group

Close Brothers Group plc, a merchant banking company, engages in the provision of financial services to small businesses and individuals in the United Kingdom. It operates through five segments: Commercial, Retail, Property, Asset Management, and Securities. The company offers banking services comprising of debt factoring, invoice discounting, asset-based lending; financing for SMEs, residential housing, transport, industrial equipment, renewable energy, motorcycle, used car, and commercial vehicle financing; insurance, refurbishment, and bridging financing, savings products for individuals and corporates, hire purchase, lease, and loan related services.

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